Overhead traveling type fuel supplying apparatus

ABSTRACT

A fuel supplying apparatus consists of a traveling unit which moves in either of opposite directions, a delivery unit which communicates with the traveling unit and has a fuel hose carrying a fuel supplying nozzle at one end thereof and being lowered and raised, a fixed conduit which communicates with a reservoir and extends uprightly near to the traveling unit, and a folding tube which connects the fixed conduit with the traveling unit. The folding tube is composed of a plurality of non-flexible rigid tubes each of which is pivotally connected and internally communicates with its adjacent tubes at its ends. As the traveling unit moves, the folding tube stretches or contracts without deforming the component tubes.

United States Patent Irie et a].

[ 51 June 20, 1972 [$4] OVERHEAD TRAVELING TYPE FUEL SUPPLYING APPARATUS [72] Inventors: Yolhlhlko lrle, Kawasaki; Fumlo Klmura,

Tokyo, both of Japan [30] Foreign Application Priority Date March 23, 1970 Japan ..45/24262 [52] U.S.C1 ..222/527, 137/355.l6, 137/615, 138/178 [51] Int. Cl "B676 5/60 [58] Field ofSearch ..222/74, 75. 527, 529, 538; 138/120, 178; 137/355.l6, 355.23, 355.28, 615;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,893,422 7/1959 Schlitz ..239/1 86 X 2,948,306 8/1960 Kuraeff 137/615 UX 3,439,700 4/1960 Prestonm. ..l37/3S4 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 823,966 12/1951 Germany ..239/l85 Primary Examz'nerRobert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Frederick R. Handren Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57} ABSTRACT A fuel supplying apparatus consists of a traveling unit which moves in either of opposite directions, a delivery unit which communicates with the traveling unit and has a fuel hose carrying a fuel supplying noule at one end thereof and being lowered and raised, a fixed conduit which communicates with a reservoir and extends uprightly near to the traveling unit, and a folding tube which connects the fixed conduit with the traveling unit. The folding tube is composed of a plurality of non-flexible rigid tubes each of which is pivotally connected and internally communicates with its adjacent tubes at its ends. As the traveling unit moves, the folding tube stretches or contracts without deforming the component tubes.

6 China, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEuJum m2 3. 670. 930

sum 3 or 5 FIG. 3

OVERHEAD TRAVELING TYPE FUEL SUPPLYING APPARATUS This invention relates to an overhead traveling type fuel supplying apparatus and more particularly to a fuel supplying apparatus which performs supplying of fuel by having a traveling unit and a delivery unit traveled overhead and pulling down a fuel supplying noule at a desired position.

Known in the art is a stationary type fuel supplying apparatus in which a required number of fuel supplying stands or posts each containing a motor, suction pump, flowmeter and indicator are provided on islands in a service area of a fuel supplying station.

In this known fuel supplying system, the whole service area cannot be used effectively for supplying fuel to vehicles such as automobiles. Besides, the fuel supplying system has s disadvantage that an automobile entering the service area is not entirely free from danger of colliding with the fuel supplying post.

In order to eliminate these disadvantages, it has been proposed to provide a fuel supplying hose and nozzle which can be lowered from and raised to a ceiling or a beam of a structure extending horizontally from a wall or a post and to lower the hose and nozzle to a desired position in fuel supplying operation. This system, however, is disadvantageous in that the fuel supplying hose to be lowered from the ceiling or beam is of a limited length and therefore the fuel supplying operation cannot be effected in case a vehicle stops outside of the extent to which the fuel supplying hose can be stretched. Particularly in a place where many vehicles park in rows, e.g., a fuel supplying station for buses, a number of fuel supplying units must be installed and the cost for installation tends to become enormous.

For the purpose of eliminating disadvantages of the aforementioned fuel supplying apparatus, a fuel supplying apparatus of a type having a delivery unit which travels over the service area thereby moving the fuel supplying hose to a desired position has been proposed. This type of apparatus is disclosed, for example, in US. Pat. No. 2,893,422 specification "Overhead traveling dispenser unit." in this proposed type of fuel supplying apparatus, a dispenser unit traveling with a beam is connected with a fixed a conduit extending from a reservoir by way of a flexible hose.

lt is, however, observed that a flexible hose generally expands in its diameter when supply of fuel is stopped. When the valve of the nozzle provided at the end of the hose is abruptly closed during fuel supplying operation, fuel which has been flowing through the hose tends to continue its flow by inertia and expands the hose. By reason of expansion of the hose, the measured quantity of fuel supplied includes error and the measured value becomes inaccurate. This inaccuracy in measurement due to the error caused by expansion of the hose is of a magnitude which cannot be ignored. In Japan, for example, the official measurement regulation stipulates that a metal tube must be used as a fuel conduit except a fuel supplying hose at the end of a fuel supplying conduit. Accordingly, in the aforementioned proposed apparatus, error in measurement of quantity is so great that it cannot be put to a practical use.

Further, in the proposed apparatus, winding and unwinding of the flexible connecting hose on the reel during movement of the dispenser unit exert a strong twisting force or excesive force on the hose. This is due to the fact that the hose is wound on the reel not in an orderly manner but rather disorderly and a strong force is exerted when the hose is unwound. In case an elastic substance such as air passes through the hose, this twist in the hose does not present a serious problem. However, in case liquid such as fuel oil passes through the hose, the liquid is not substantially compressed and the hose will be broken if a large twist is produced in it. [n a fuel supplying apparatus, the liquid to be dealt with is an inflammable and explosive fuel oil and it will be very dangerous if the hose is broken and the fuel oil is scattered about. Accordingly, it is absolutely necessary to prevent the damage of the hose and from this standpoint also the aforementioned proposed apparatus cannot be put to a practical use.

Particularly in an apparatus such as one used for a bus station where, as mentioned previously, a dispenser unit or a delivery unit must travel over a great distance, the connecting hose must be a long one and the error in measurement of quantity and the damage of the hose will become serious disadvantages.

lt is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful overhead traveling type fuel supplying apparatus thereby to settle the problems and eliminate the disadvantages of the aforementioned conventional apparatus and the proposed apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel supplying apparatus in which a traveling unit communicating with a fuel supplying nozzle is connected with a fixed conduit communicating with a reservoir by way of non-elastic folding tube. By this arrangement, the connecting folding tube does not expand when fuel supplying operation is stopped and therefore no error in measurement of quantity occurs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fuel supply ing apparatus which employs, as a connecting tube connecting the traveling unit and the fixed conduit, a folding tube consisting of a plurality of tube sections pivotally connected and internally corrununicating with swivel joints at their ends. The folding tube is capable of being stretched and contracted by folding and unfolding a a whole and follows in an accurate movement the traveling unit without producing twist in the tube irrespective of direction of the movement of the traveling unit. Since no twisting force is exerted upon the folding tube, it is entirely free from danger of being broken.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fuel supplying apparatus employing a folding tube which is completely folded when the traveling unit is at the middle of its traveling range and is stretched to the maximum extent when the traveling unit has moved to either end of its traveling range. Since the traveling unit is normally at the middle position, it can move in either of opposite directions in relatively short traveling time. Further, since the folding tube is completely folded at the middle position, required length of the folding tube can be relatively short.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the description made hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a front view of one embodiment of an overhead traveling type fuel supplying apparatus according to the invenllOll;

FIG. 2 is a vertically sectional side view taken along the line ll-ll of the apparatus shown in FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertically sectional side view of a reel part of the traveling unit;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the connecting folding tube;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the folding tube shown in FIG. 4 in its stretched state; and

FIG. 6 is a vertically sectional side view of the swivel joint part of the folding tube shown in FIG. 4.

ln FlGS. l and 2, upright posts and 10!: are fixed location at both sides of a service area of a fuel supplying station. Between the posts 10a and [0b, there are supported beams Ila and llb having an l-shaped in cross section. A traveling unit I2 is fixed to the lower surface of the base portion of a moving beam 13 which projects horizontally. A delivery unit 28 is fixed to the lower surface of the foremost end portion of the moving beam 13. The moving beam 13 has rollers Na and 14b rotatably provided on the upper surface thereof. The rollers 14a and 14b are guided along roller guides lSa and 15b provided on the bottom of the beams lla and llb thereby moving the moving beam 13 in the directions shown by arrows A and B in FIG. 1.

A reversible electric motor I6 is fixed to the upper portion of the post 10b. A reduction gear 17 serves to reduce the rotation of the motor 16. A chain 19 is provided between the reduction gear 17 and a sprocket 18 fixed to the upper portion of the post 101:. The traveling unit 12 is fixed to the chain 19 by means of fasteners 20. The chain 19 driven by rotation of the motor 16 causes the traveling unit 12 to move in either direction of the arrow A or B.

A hollow upright post 21 is provided at a position which is substantially in the middle between the two posts 100 and b and which does not obstruct passage of vehicles. The post 21 protects a fixed fuel pipe 22, an air pipe 23 and an electric wire 24 respectively passing through the interior of the post. One end of the fuel pipe 22 communicates with an underground reservoir 25 through a pump (not shown) which is driven by a motor. The other end of the fuel pipe 22 communicates with a connecting folding tube 26 to be described later in detail. The folding tube 26 is connected to a fuel supplying nozzle 31 through a flowmeter 27 of volume type or turbine type, a fixed pipe 29 provided in the moving beam 13 and a flexible fuel hose 30 wound on a reel 33 provided in a delivery unit 28. A mechanical or electrical indicator 32 provided at a place which can easily be watched by the operator and a customer indicates a result of measurement of the flowmeter 27.

In the delivery unit 28, the reel 33 is driven by an air cylinder 34 and rotates to wind the fuel hose 30. When air is exhausted from the air cylinder 34. the hose 30 is unwound downwardly by self weight of the fuel hose 30 and the nozzle 31 or by a force ofa spring.

' Referring to FIG. 3. the internal construction of the traveling unit 12 will be explained. A reel part 35 contains reels 38 and 39 fixedly mounted on the lower surface of the moving beam 13. The reel 38 on which an air hose 40 is wound and the reel 39 on which the electric wire 24 is wound are respectively mounted on a shafi 37 journalled by a frame 36 to rotate integrally therewith. One end of the air pipe 23 passing through the post 21 communicates with a compressed air source through an electromagnetic three-way changeover valve (not shown) and the other end of the air pipe 23 communicates with one end of the air hose 40. The other end of the air hose 40 is connected to one end of a fixed air pipe 42 provided in the moving beam 13 through a joint 41 which is mounted coaxially on the shaft 37. The other end of the air pipe 42 is connected to the air cylinder 34. The reels 38 and 39 respectively wind the air hose 40 and the electric wire 24 by the force of springs (not shown). The other end of the elec tric wire 24 wound on the reel 39 is electrically connected to a connector 44 through a spiral cable 43. The spiral cable 43 will not be broken or produce an unnatural twist whichever direction the reel 39 may rotate. The reels 38 and 39 respectively hold the air hose 40 and the electric wire 24 in their wound up states when the traveling unit 12 is in the middle between the posts 100 and 10b.

A switch box 45 is connected to the connector 44 and hangs down from the traveling unit 12 at an easily operable height. in the switch box 45, there are provided four switches. Le. a switch 46 for rotating the motor 16 in a forward direction to move the traveling unit 12 in the direction of the arrow A. a switch 47 for rotating the motor 16 in a reverse direction to move the traveling unit 12 in the direction of the arrow B. a switch 48 for changing over the three-way changeover valve provided in the air pipe 23 to supply air into the air cylinder 34 and wind the fuel hose 30 upwardly. and a switch 49 for exhausting the air cylinder 34 to unwind the fuel hose 30 downwardly. In the present embodiment, starting and stopping of the motor to drive the pump provided on the fuel pipe 22 are performed by a switch (not shown) mounted on the hose reel 33. When the nozzle 31 is lowered below a predetermined height, this switch is closed to start the motor. Conversely. when the nozzle 31 is raised above a predetermined height. the switch is opened to stop the motor.

Nextly, the connecting folding tube 26 which constitutes an essential part of the apparatus according to the invention will be illustrated with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. The folding tube 26 consists of straight metal tubes 50a to 50f of a predetermined length which are disposed in mutually vertically spaced relation. Among the metal tubes 50a to 50f. two adjacent metal tubes are pivotally connected and communicated with each other by means of swivel joints 51b to 51]. The metal tube 50a is further pivotally connected and communicated with the fuel pipe 22 by means of a swivel joint 51a. The metal tube 50f is further pivotally connected and communicated with a fixed pipe 52 connected with the flowmeter 27 by means of a swivel joint 51g.

Rollers 53 and 54 are rotatably mounted on shafts 57 and 58 of roller supporting members 55 and 56 which are secured to the swivel joints 51c and 51e. The rollers 53 and 54 are guided along guide rails6l] and 61 spaced from each other and secured to a mounting plate 59. The guide rails 60 and 61 extend in parallel with the roller guides 15a and 15b.

A vertical section of the metal tubes 50b. 50c and the swivel joint 51c is shown in FIG. 6. The two joint parts of the swivel joint 51c are jointed watertightly with the metal tubes 50b and 50c by means of O-rings 62 and 63. The two joint parts are mutually pivotally and watertightly jointed by means of an O- ring 64.

Operation of the fuel supplying apparatus having the above described construction will now be described.

Before starting of the fuel supplying operation, the traveling unit 12 is positioned in the middle between the posts and 10b, namely right above the post 21. The fuel hose 30 is in the state of being wound up on the reel 33. the nozzle 31 being lifted nearly up to the delivery unit 28.

Let it be assumed that in this condition a vehicle to which fuel is to be supplied stops near the post 10a side of the service area of the fuel supplying station. An operator pushes the switch 46 of the switch box 45 to close it. As the switch 46 is closed. the motor 16 rotates in a forward direction. This rotation is reduced by the reduction gear 17 and then is transmitted to the chain 19. As the chain 19 runs. the traveling unit 12 moves and travels with the moving beam 13 in the direction of arrow A, the rollers 14a and 14b being guided along the roller guides 15a and 15b. When the delivery unit 28 reaches the position substantially above the stopping vehicle. the operator releases the switch 46 to open it. The motor 16 stops its rotation and the traveling unit 12 stops its movement.

The folding tube 26 is in its folded state as shown in FIG. 4 when the traveling unit 12 is located in the middle between the two posts 10a and 10b. As the traveling unit 12 moves as described above, the fixed pipe 52 and the swivel joint 51g move with the traveling unit 12 whereas each metal tube 500 to 50f moves in a pivotal motion with its ends held by the swivel joints 51a to 51 since one end of the metal tube 500 is connected to the fixed fuel pipe 22 through the swivel joint 51a. Thus, the folding tube 26 stretches as shown in the plan view of FIG. 5. During this movement. the swivel joints 51c and Sle move linearly with the rollers 53 and 54 being guided along the guide rails 60 and 61. Accordingly, the folding tube 26 stretches in the direction of arrow A starting from the swivel joint 510 as viewed in FIG. 5.

During the aforementioned movement. the air hose 40 and electric wire 24 respectively wound on the air hose reel 38 and the electric wire reel 39 are unwound from these reels and extended as the traveling unit 12 moves. Since the reels 38 and 39 rotate against the force of the springs. energy is stored in these springs.

Then, the operator pushes the switch 49 to close it. As the switch 49 is closed, the three-way changeover valve is changed over and the air under pressure in the air cylinder 34 is exhausted through the pipe 42. air hose 40 and pipe 23. The fuel hose 30 wound on the hose reel 33 is lowered by the resilient force of the spring provided in the hose reel 33 or by self weights of the fuel hose 30 and the nozzle 31 whereby the nozzle 31 is lowered to a height within the reach of the operator. The operator further pulls down the nozzle 31. causing the spring in the hose reel 33 to store energy, and inserts the nozzle 31 into the fuel tank of the vehicle and opens the valve of the noule 31. The fuel stored in the underground reservoir 25 is discharged from the nozzle 31 through the folding tube 26. pipe 52. flowmeter 27. pipe 29, delivery unit 28 and fuel hose 30 whereby fuel supplying operation is efl'ected. In pulling down the nozzle 3|. the switch provided on the hose reel 33 is closed to start the motor for driving the pump. Instead of providing this switch on the hose reel 33, a switch may be provided which is closed by closing of the valve of the nozzle 31. Alternatively, a switch which is manually operated may be provided in the switch box 45. Flow quantity measured by the flowmeter 27 is indicated on the indicator 32.

When the indicated quantity of the indicator 32 has reached the quantity required by the customer, the operator closes the valve of the nozzle 31. When the operator lets go his hold of the nozzle 31, the fuel hose 30 is wound up to its standby position by the force stored in the spring of the reel 33 and the motor for driving the pump stops its rotation. Then, the operator pushes the switch 48 to close it. As the switch 48 is closed, the three-way changeover valve is again changed over to supply air to the air cylinder 34 and the fuel hose 30 is wound on the hose reel 33 lifiing the nozzle 31 nearly up to the delivery unit 28. Nextly, the operator pushes the switch 47 to close it. The motor 16 rotates in a reverse direction and causes the chain 19 and the traveling unit 12 to travel in the direction of arrow B. When the traveling unit 12 has reached the middle position shown in FIG. 1 or any other desired position, the switch 47 is opened to stop the rotation of the motor 16 and the traveling unit 12 stops at that position.

As the traveling unit l2 travels in the direction of arrow B, the folding tube 26 contracts in the direction of arrow B in FIGS. 1 and 5 in a motion opposite to the stretching motion described above, the rollers 53 and 54 being guided along the guide rails 60 and 61. At the same time, the air hose 40 and the electric wire 24 are respectively wound on the reels 38 and 39 rotated by the force of the springs provided in the reels 38 and 39. If the traveling unit 12 is moved past the middle position shown in FIG. I in the direction of the arrow B, the folding tube 26 once reaches its most contracted state and then stretches in a direction opposite to that shown in FIG. 5.

Since the metal tubes 50a to 50f are disposed and mutually connected in vertically spaced relation, the folding tube 26 can effect its contracting and stretching movements continuously even when the traveling unit moves in either direction past the aforementioned middle position.

When the folding tube 26 stretches and contracts as described above, metal tubes 50a to 50] move in only pivotal motion in horizontal planes parallel with one another about the swivel joints 51a to 51 by which both ends of each metal tube are pivotally connected. Consequently, in stretching and contracting of the folding tube 26, no undesirable external force such as twisting force is exerted on the metal tubes 50a to 51 f and the folding tube 26 smoothly moves in a pivotal motion for stretching and contracting.

In the above described embodiment, metal tubes are employed as the folding tube 26. However, the invention is not limited to this but any hard and strong material which is nonelastic, non-flexible and oil proof may be used.

Further, in the above described embodiment, the air hose 40 and the electric wire 24 are wound on and unwound from the reels 38 and 39 and therefore the twist may occur in the air hose 40 and the electric wire 24 in winding and unwinding thereof. However, the twist in the air hose 40 very seldom damages the air hose 40 since air in the air hose 40 has a sufficient contractibility. Even if the air hose 40 is damaged and air leaks from it by any chance, there is no danger of causing a serious accident such as a fire which is likely to take place when fuel leaks from the fuel hose. As to the electric wire 24, the twist in the electric wire 24 will not have such a serious effect as cutting off the electric wire. However, in order to protect the air hose 40 and the electric wire 24 from twisting force or any other excessive force, it is desirable that a folding tube of the same construction as the above described fuel conduit should be used as the air hose or the electric wire to connect the post 21 and the traveling unit 12.

While the invention has been described with respect to the specific preferable embodiment, various modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to thpseskilled in the art without departing from the scope of which rs set forth in the appended claims.

What We claim is:

I. An overhead traveling type fuel supplying apparatus which comprises a horizontally extending guiding member, a traveling unit which moves and travels guided along said guiding member, a horizontally extending moving beam which moves with said traveling unit, a delivery unit which is fixed to the foremost end of said moving beam and has a fuel hose which is provided with a nozzle at one end thereof and can be lowered and raised, means for moving said traveling unit along said guiding member in either of opposite directions, a reservoir for storing fuel liquid, a first fixed fuel conduit which has its one end communicated with said reservoir and the other end disposed near the middle point of the moving range of said traveling unit, a second fixed fuel conduit extending through said traveling unit, moving beam and delivery unit one end of which communicates with said fuel hose, and a folding tube both ends of which are respectively pivotally connected and internally communicated with the other end of said first fixed fuel conduit and the other end of said second fixed fuel conduit, wherein said folding tube comprises a plurality of tubes which are mutually pivotally connected and internally communicated with their adjacent tubes at the ends thereof and is so arranged that it is completely folded when said traveling unit is near the middle point of the traveling range and it stretches and contracts without deforming said plurality of tubes themselves as said traveling unit travels, and said plurality of tubes are made of a hard, non-flexible and non-elastic material.

2. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim I wherein said plurality of tubes composing said folding tube are disposed in mutually vertically spaced relation, said tubes being pivotally connected and internally communicating in sequence with their adjacent tubes at their ends, and said folding tube is capable of stretching in either of opposite directions when said traveling unit may move from said middle point of the traveling range.

3. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim I which further comprises a guiding means for guiding the pivotally connected parts of said plurality of tubes of said folding tube in a direction parallel to said guiding member.

4. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim I which further comprises posts for supporting said guiding member and an upright post located substantially in the middle between said posts and having said first fixed fuel conduit extend therethrough, one end of said folding tube being pivotally connected and communicating with the other end of said first fixed fuel conduit above said upright post.

5. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said traveling unit, moving beam and delivery unit are disposed at least at a height at which passage of vehicles to which fuel is to be supplied is not obstructed.

6. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said moving beam extends at right angle to the longitudinal direction of said guiding member.

III I i I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 670, 930 Dated June 20 l 1972 Invent0r(s) Yoshihiko Irie, et. a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet, [73] "Tokyo Ltd.," should read Ltd. o

Signed and sealed this 12th day of December 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. RQBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. An overhead traveling type fuel supplying apparatus which comprises a horizontally extending guiding member, a traveling unit which moves and travels guided along said guiding member, a horizontally extending moving beam which moves with said traveling unit, a delivery unit which is fixed to the foremost end of said moving beam and has a fuel hose which is provided with a nozzle at one end thereof and can be lowered and raised, means for moving said traveling unit along said guiding member in either of opposite directions, a reservoir for storing fuel liquid, a first fixed fuel conduit which has its one end communicated with said reservoir and the other end disposed near the middle point of the moving range of said Traveling unit, a second fixed fuel conduit extending through said traveling unit, moving beam and delivery unit one end of which communicates with said fuel hose, and a folding tube both ends of which are respectively pivotally connected and internally communicated with the other end of said first fixed fuel conduit and the other end of said second fixed fuel conduit, wherein said folding tube comprises a plurality of tubes which are mutually pivotally connected and internally communicated with their adjacent tubes at the ends thereof and is so arranged that it is completely folded when said traveling unit is near the middle point of the traveling range and it stretches and contracts without deforming said plurality of tubes themselves as said traveling unit travels, and said plurality of tubes are made of a hard, nonflexible and non-elastic material.
 2. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of tubes composing said folding tube are disposed in mutually vertically spaced relation, said tubes being pivotally connected and internally communicating in sequence with their adjacent tubes at their ends, and said folding tube is capable of stretching in either of opposite directions when said traveling unit may move from said middle point of the traveling range.
 3. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 which further comprises a guiding means for guiding the pivotally connected parts of said plurality of tubes of said folding tube in a direction parallel to said guiding member.
 4. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 which further comprises posts for supporting said guiding member and an upright post located substantially in the middle between said posts and having said first fixed fuel conduit extend therethrough, one end of said folding tube being pivotally connected and communicating with the other end of said first fixed fuel conduit above said upright post.
 5. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said traveling unit, moving beam and delivery unit are disposed at least at a height at which passage of vehicles to which fuel is to be supplied is not obstructed.
 6. The fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said moving beam extends at right angle to the longitudinal direction of said guiding member. 